Pansoti with Walnut Sauce Recipe

• 8.8 oz all-purpose flour
• ½ cup warm water
• 2 tbsp dry white wine
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 8 oz Swiss chard
• 4 oz spinach
• 8 oz whole-milk ricotta
• 1⅝ oz Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 tbsp fresh marjoram
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
• ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
• 5⅓ oz walnut halves
• 1 oz day-old white bread
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 clove garlic
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1⅛ oz Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 tsp fresh marjoram
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp kosher salt

Equipment

• large skillet with lid
• mixing bowl
• rolling pin or pasta machine
• knife and cutting board
• food processor or blender
• rimmed tray
• large pot
• slotted spoon
• wide skillet

Method

1. 1

   Rinse the chard and spinach, remove the chard stems, and roughly chop the leaves; allow about 8 minutes. Put the damp greens in a covered skillet over medium heat and wilt them for 4 minutes, turning once. Drain and cool for 10 minutes, then squeeze very dry and chop finely; allow about 3 minutes for this.

2. 2

   Mix the flour, warm water, wine, olive oil, and fine salt in a bowl. Knead on the counter for about 12 minutes, until the dough is smooth and firm. If it feels crumbly, wet your hands and keep kneading rather than adding a splash of water all at once.

3. 3

   Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. The rest relaxes the gluten so the dough rolls out without springing back.

4. 4

   Stir the squeezed greens with the ricotta, 45 g (1.6 oz) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, chopped marjoram, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; allow about 3 minutes. The filling should hold together on a spoon, not release liquid.

5. 5

   Soak the bread in the milk for 5 minutes. Blend it with the walnuts, garlic, olive oil, 30 g (1.1 oz) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, marjoram, and salt for about 2 minutes, until creamy but still slightly textured. Refrigerate the sauce in a sealed container for up to 2 days; loosen it later with pasta water.

   
6. 6

   Roll the dough into thin sheets, about 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) thick, using a rolling pin or pasta machine. Cut into 2 1/2-inch (6 cm) squares. Place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each square, fold corner to corner into a triangle, and press the edges firmly closed. Set the pansoti on a tray dusted with the reserved flour; allow about 35 minutes for rolling and shaping. To make ahead, freeze them on the tray until firm, then transfer to a sealed bag and cook from frozen.

   
7. 7

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the kosher salt, and lower in the pansoti in batches. Cook for about 4 minutes, until they float and the pasta is tender; check one before lifting the batch out with a slotted spoon.

8. 8

   Warm the walnut sauce gently in a wide skillet for about 2 minutes, stirring in enough pasta water to make it loose and glossy. Add the drained pansoti and turn them carefully through the sauce. Serve at once with any remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano from the filling and sauce.